I wanted to update you on the recent discussions and actions by our CWA Executive Board for determining whether and how our union will endorse a Presidential candidate.

CWA has not made an endorsement for the presidential primary elections. CWA doesn’t get out in front of our members, and our members will decide what action we take on endorsement. The Executive Board has moved forward on a process to provide information about the candidates, along with an online poll for members to make their views known. I want to outline that process here.

CWA’s political action website will include responses from the candidates to our questions on our priority issues: good jobs and trade, fair wages, retirement security, bargaining rights, and more. The website will be live sometime in September, and the information also will be provided to members in the Fall issue of the CWA News, which members will receive in early October.

CWA members and activists will be able to weigh this information about candidates at worksite events and in a telephone town hall call before casting votes in the on-line poll. The poll will stay open into early December and will help determine whether a single candidate has overwhelming support from the membership.

Our members are motivated, and many thousands more have been activated by our fair trade fight. I want this activism to grow and build our movement.

While local unions should continue to refrain from making an endorsement until the National Union as a whole makes a determination about endorsement, members can and should volunteer to work for the presidential candidate of their choice.

I’m very proud of our union and our members, and the role we play not only in political action, but in what we do to benefit all working families.